10 Best NFC Gadgets

NFC, or Near Field Communications, is quickly becoming a standard feature on smartphones, tablets and laptops, as well as a wide range of accessories. In addition to enabling mobile payments on handsets, the technology enables one-touch pairing of devices via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi direct so you can pair your phone, TV and other accessories with your smartphone without entering a settings menu. Although it can be somewhat finicky – the NFC chips in your devices need to be precisely aligned and within an inch of each other to start the connection – NFC-enabled gadgets can make your life a lot simpler. Here’s our top picks.

One2Touch NFC Android Keyboard ($99 at Brookstone)

The world’s first NFC Android keyboard is available for $99 at Brookstone. Weighing just 5 ounces, the foldable keyboard, previously known as Elecom NFC keyboard, has an internal battery that is supposed to last up to 18 months. Supporting devices running Android 4.0 and above, the One2Touch keyboard is a convenient wireless solution for those who often send messages and emails on the go. Unlike other devices where NFC is used to start Wi-Fi or Bluetooth pairing, this keyboard uses the NFC connection to transmit every keystroke from the keyboard to the phone. We found forming the NFC connection to be problematic when we went hands on with the keyboard in March but the concept is impressive and we hope it works better now.

Cherlynn joined the Laptopmag team in June 2013 and has since been writing about all things tech and digital with a focus on mobile and Internet software development. She also edits and reports occasionally on video. She graduated with a M.S. in Journalism (Broadcast) from Columbia University in May 2013 and has been designing personal websites since 2001.